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This superb bike and boat cycling holiday aboard a very comfortable river cruiser takes in all the stunning highlights of the Danube River between Passau, on the German /Austrian Border, and Budapest, the Hungarian capital. Easy and scenic riverside cycling at its absolute best.
Join your beautiful river cruiser, the MS Manon, in Passau on the German/Austrian border for a 7 night cycling adventure through Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. On most days you will disembark for highly enjoyable and easy rides along the riverbank, passing castles, historic villages, romantic ruins and famous cities. The scenery is breathtaking and each bend in the river reveals something new.
MS Manon passing Dürnstein in the Wachau Valley
Ride to the Danube Loop at Schlögen, a breathtakingly beautiful and serene bend in the river. Discover Slovakia's picture-perfect compact capital, Bratislava with its winding streets and buzzing cafe culture.
Admire Budapest's stunning skyline from the river before disembarking to explore the city. Enjoy a fabulous ride along the river bank to the colourful and vibrant artists' village of Szentendre and back to Budapest.
The huge basilica on the riverbank at Esztergom is magnificent and a day exploring the many sights of the Austrian capital, Vienna will also live long in the memory.
The final ride through the breathtaking natural beauty of the Wachau Valley is the icing on the cake. The charming, gently rolling countryside reveals terraced vineyards, castles and tiny medieval wine villages.
The MS Manon is an elegant and very comfortable river cruiser, the perfect base for your cycling holiday. The comfortable salon and bar on the upper invites you to relax and watch the scenery drift by through the large, panoramic windows. The convivial restaurant on the main deck also boasts panoramic windows and on the sun-deck you'll find comfortable seating in the fresh air with nothing between you and the beautiful scenery.
An easy cycling holiday on mostly level terrain, along riverbank cycle paths and quite lanes. E-bikes are a popular option on this route but regular bikes are of course also available.
Upon arrival in Passau make your way to the MS Manon where boarding take place at 4pm with a planned departure time of 7pm. Settle into your cabin and explore the ship before enjoying a welcome cocktail with your fellow passengers and hearing more about the coming week from the captain and crew. If you arrive early, Passau is a charming town with plenty to see and do. It is the point at which the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers all meet, so there are plenty of riverbanks to stroll along. We recommend making the climb to Veste Oberhaus, a medieval fortress and museum that offers a fantastic, panoramic view of the town and rivers. Enjoy dinner on-board as the boat cruises downstream to Engelhartszell where she moors for the night.
The first bike ride of the week is a fabulous introduction to the Danube Cycle Path. You'll set off from Engelhartszell and follow the riverside bike path along a very scenic and peaceful stretch of the river. After 14 km of idyllic cycling you reach a huge natural bend in the river that is renowned for its natural beauty and tranquillity. This is the Danube Loop and, if you have the energy, we recommend a hike up to the vantage point above the loop where you can enjoy a marvellous view of the whole scene. Afterwards you continue along the riverside cycle path, through a valley where nature still holds sway. Bird song and the hum of your tyres on the asphalt are the only sounds as you roll along. The boat is waiting for you in the small hamlet of Brandstatt and once everyone is on board, the crew cast off and the ship cruises through the night to the Slovakian capital, Bratislava.
The MS Manon moors in the Slovakian capital after breakfast. Today's ride leads you out into the countryside, away from the city and the river to the Imperial Palace of Hof with its manicured gardens. You then circle back towards the Danube, passing through the town of Devin, at the confluence of the Morava and Danube rivers, before arriving back in Bratislava. The rest of the day is yours to explore this compact and vibrant little city. Wander the winding cobbled streets, perhaps stopping at one of the many pavement cafes for something refreshing. The climb up to the castle is worth the effort for the views across the city and along the river.In the evening the MS Manon departs and cruises through the night downstream to Budapest, the Hungarian capital.
There is no better way to arrive in the Hungarian capital than by boat. Buda’s hills crowned by the Castle, Pest’s Parliament building shimmering in all its grandeur. Bridges link the two halves of the city while spires and domes pierce the skyline. You can spend the day getting to know this fascinating city with two characters. Does classy, regal, more laid-back Buda draw you or do you prefer the fun and vibrant, anything goes Pest? If you want to cycle then follow the optional loop ride up the river bank to the charming and colourful artists' town of Szentendre and back. In the evening, the crew cast-off and the MS Manon begins her return journey upstream.
Today's ride explores another grand bend in the river. From the baroque village of Vác the route leads you around the bend through gently undulating countryside to the town of Esztergom with it's imposing Catholic basilica overlooking the river. Back on board, the crew cast-off and the MS Manon cruises through the night to Austria's capital, Vienna.
The ship moors in the suburb of Nussdorf, from where there are good public transport connections into the city centre. The day is yours to explore this elegant city and take in its many sights. Visit Schönbrunn Palace for its imperial grandeur, and stroll through historic Stephansplatz to admire St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The grand facade of the Hofburg Palace also shouldn't be missed and maybe consider enjoying some art at the Belvedere or Kunsthistorisches Museum. Finally, find time to relax at a traditional Viennese café with coffee and Sachertorte and don't miss the grandeur of the city's famous Opera House. In the evening the crew cast off and the ship cruises through the night to the Wachau Valley.
Today's route is definitely one of the highlights of the trip as you ride the length of the spectacular Wachau Valley. This wine region is achingly beautiful, with castle ruins, fruit orchards and cascading vineyard terraces on either side of the river. In Dürnstein you can explore the quaint old village and hike up to the castle ruin where King Richard the Lionheart was held captive in 1192. Carrying on, the idyllic cycle path follows the bends in the river past more beautiful old wine villages such as Weissenkirchen and Spitz. The twin towers of the Baroque abbey in Melk signify you have reached the end of the Wachau and here (or in nearby Pöchlarn) you re-board the ship for the final night cruise of the trip back to Passau.
In the early morning the MS Manon navigates the serenely beautiful Danube Loop one more time before arriving back at her home port of Passau where the adventure comes to an end. Disembarkation begins around 10.30am.
Regular bikes provided are modern alloy framed unisex models with 7 speeds. The bikes come equipped with pannier, lock and a repair kit with pump.
Electric bikes are also available.
Helmets are not provided, so you will need to bring your own.
The MS Manon is an elegant, very comfortable river cruiser offering a tasteful interior and a wealth of on-board amenities.
She has a total of 74 air-conditioned cabins arranged over 3 decks (main, middle and upper) every cabin features en suite shower/wc (some also feature a bathtub), hair dryer, safe, mini refrigerator and TV.
The upper deck features 30 twin bedded cabins with panoramic floor to ceiling windows which can be opened to the fresh air.
On the middle deck there are 31 twin bedded cabins with large windows which can be opened to the fresh air.
The main deck features 13 cabins with small windows (40cm high) that cannot be opened.
On the upper-deck there is a comfortable panorama salon and bar with large panoramic windows. There’s also a quiet book corner as well as a wellness area with sauna and whirlpool. The top deck is a partially covered sun-deck with plenty of seating for enjoying the fresh air. A special highlight is the ship's outdoor pool (8.7m x 4.5m)
The convivial restaurant is on the main deck and here you will enjoy a hearty breakfast each morning, and a three-course meal each evening.
On-board payments: Cash and credit cards accepted.
The captain reserves the right to make changes to the planned route due to changing wind, tide and weather conditions, and where required by organisational necessities.
Fly to Munich or Vienna airports and then travel by train onwards to Passau.
Research flights from UK airports.
Research onward rail connections.
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